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Buddhism
Alan D. DeSantis
Introduction
• Buddhism was started by a man
named Siddhārtha Gautama
(563-483 B.C.) in India
• He was a Hindu
• Siddhartha was a social
reformer
• Buddhism is the fourth-largest
religion
Buddha’s Life
• Siddhārtha's father was the ruler of the city of
Patliputra.
• Under strict instruction of his father, Siddhārtha was
never exposed to suffering or pain
• At the age of 29, he came across what has become
known as the Four Passing Sights:
– An old crippled man, a sick man, a decaying corpse,
and finally a wandering holy man.
• He decided to abandon his worldly life, leaving
behind his privileges, rank, caste, and his wife and
child
Buddha’s Life
• He decided that if he continued on his path of
poverty, he would die without reaching any
understanding
• After six years, Siddhārtha (now 35), sitting
under a pipal tree, attained enlightenment
(understood the key to life) and became a Buddha
• For the remaining 45 years of his life, Buddha
traveled northeastern India
The Four Noble Truths
• The Buddha taught that life was inherently
suffering, that it is caused by craving, but that
this condition was curable
– 1) Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering,
illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what
is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is
pleasing is suffering; not getting what one wants is
suffering.
– 2) The origin of suffering: We always want
something. Sex, materialism, food, good times, health,
immortality, youth
– 3) The end of suffering: Transcend your cravings.
Stop wanting. This will lead you to Nirvana
– 4) The way leading to the cessation of suffering:
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Spread of Buddhism in USA
Some Important Concepts
• Karma and Reincarnation
• No Caste
• No Gods
Addressing the “God” Question
(from Bhûridatta Jataka)
• If there is the creator of the world
called God:
• If there is the creator of the world
called God:
•
• If there is the creator of the world
called God:
Some Important Concepts
• A Finite Heaven and Hell
– Nirvana
– Hell: There are many levels of hell.
Suffering is the only act of purification
• “One day you might be walking through a
forest, when all the leaves on a tree turn
into razor blades and fall, cutting you into
a million pieces.”
Wrong Nirvana
Some Important Concepts
• Impermanence
– Nothing is permanent and all things are in a state of
continuous change
• Anti-Dogmatic
– Since Buddha wanted everyone to think critically,
explore their own truth, and accept no God (thus, no
perfect rules), this may be all wrong, all right, or a
little bit of both
Some Important Concepts
• Meditation
– Meditation helps one's mind
become calm, tranquil, and
luminous
– We can gain insight into the
ultimate nature of reality
Buddhist Meditation in Three Parts
• Part One:
• Calm (or Samatha) Meditation
– The purpose of this is to calm
both body and mind
– One method is to concentrate on
one's breathing
Buddhist Meditation in Three Parts
• Part Two:
• Insight (or vipassana) meditation
– Next, we must realize that suffering and impermanence
are inherent in all things
• Part Three:
• Loving-kindness (or metta) meditation
– The aim of this is to remove feelings of ill-will and to
foster a kindly and caring approach to others.
Buddhist scriptures
• The starting point into this wealth
of Buddhist scripture is the Pali
Canon
• But other Buddhist
scriptures/texts exist in great
variety. Different schools of
Buddhism place varying levels of
value on them.
Three Main Buddhism Schools
• Today, Buddhism is divided
primarily into three schools
(or vadas):
– Theravāda [ther-uh-vah-duh]
– Mahāyāna [mah-huh-yah-nuh]
– Vajrayāna [vaj-ruh-yah-nuh]
The Theravada [ther-uh-vah-duh] school
• Theravada school bases its practice and
doctrine exclusively on the Pali Canon.
• Theravada Buddhism are viewed as
elitists and selfishness
– A)
– B)
The Mahayana [mah-huh-yah-nuh] School
• The biggest and most popular (with
many off-shoots) 56% of Buddhists
• Mahayana can be characterized by
– Universalism:
– Compassion:
• Zen Buddhism is a branch of
Mahayana Buddhism
The Vajrayana School
• Found primarily in Tibet
• Like Mahayana Buddhism, but with
additional practices:
• These profound states are used as
a path to Buddhahood
The End . . .